𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙑𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚-𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙏𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙢: 𝙐𝙣𝙖𝙞 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙮 o

After a four-game winless streak at the start of the campaign, Aston Villa are starting to look like their normal selves once again after recording successive wins over Burnley and Fulham at Villa Park.

And the West Midlands side are now seeking their first away victory of the season against high-flying Tottenham in a huge match which promises to have big implications on the race for European qualification.

Aston Villa finished 12 places and 28 points ahead of the Lillywhites last season, yet remarkably find themselves playing in a lower European position after ex-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou delivered on his promise of delivering the club a major trophy in his penultimate game in charge.

Now managed by Thomas Frank, it’s fair to say that Tottenham look a completely different animal to the team they were last season. As it stands, they’ve won four, drawn two and lost one of their opening seven games, leaving them in a commanding position to once again secure Champions League qualification

Aston Villa, who only missed out on qualification for Europe’s elite competition on goal difference, know that a victory in the capital would send out a signal of intent to their supporters and show them that the good times under Emery are far from over.

As a former Arsenal boss Emery is likely to get a cold reception from the Tottenham faithful in the capital. But how will he set up his team in North London? Here we predict Aston Villa’s starting lineup for their trip to face Tottenham.

GK: Emiliano Martínez: Argentine international Emiliano Martinez remains the undisputed first choice at Villa Park despite a dip in form. He’s managed just one clean sheet in the league this season and will hope to improve on that record in this weekend’s match in the capital.

RB: Matty Cash: Polish international Matty Cash has played in the majority of the games since Unai Emery’s arrival and faces little competition at present. He’s expected to retain his spot and will hope to nullify the threat of some of Tottenham’s flair players.

CB: Ezri Konsa: England international Ezri Konsa remains one of the most important players in Aston Villa’s backline. He faces a key season in his career as he looks to secure his place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad next summer.

CB: Pau Torres: The Spaniard replaced Tyrone Mings in the lineup and did a steady enough job as Aston Villa defeated Burnley.

LB: Lucas Digne: Frenchman Lucas Digne currently finds himself ahead of Ian Maatsen in the pecking order and is expected to start ahead of the young Dutchman due to his vast experience as he faces off against in-form winger Mohammed Kudus.

Aston Villa predicted line-up: midfield and attack

CM: Boubacar Kamara: When fully fit Boubacar Kamara is one of the most important midfielders at Aston Villa and he’s excellent at reading the game and has picked up assists in both of his last two starts.

CM: Amadou Onana: Belgian international Amadou Onana replaces Lamare Bogarde in the heart of midfield. He’s recently returned from injury and appeared as a substitute against Burnley.

CAM: Harvey Elliott: England Under-21 Player of the Tournament, Harvey Elliott is still yet to win the trust of Unai Emery but has the ability to make a real positive impact on this contest.